Collapsible sawhorse or trestle



April 14, 1953 E. J. DoucETTE 2,635,013

coLLAPsIBLE ysAwHoRsE 0R TREsTLE EnMuNo .Jnmzs DouceTfE April 14, 1953 E. J. DOUGETTE 2,635,013

rcoLLmsILE sAwHoRsE oa TRESTLE Filed July 8. 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

FIG-.8

EDMUND JAMES DouaETTE Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED .STATES PATENT GFFICE assault :CoLLA-P-SIBLE sAWHoRsE oR'TREsTL iiaifai saines ijtucette, 'ijking sraicii, 'i. ApplicationJuIVy-S, 1949, Serial No. 103,591

' (o1. 'Sti-sl This invention relates to -a collapsible Asaw horse or trestle used by various artisans such `,as carpenters, plasterers, paper hangerahobbyists, and others for supporting material beingjvorked upon or for supporting boards or a platform to form a scaffold on which to stand while working, or a table surface such as used by .paperV hangers while cutting wallpaperand applying paste thereto, as well as various other uses where it is desired to provide a temporary elevated support. y

An object of the invention is to provide a saw horse or .trestle which may be collapsed for convenient transportation 'or storage when not in use and which may be quickly and easily opened up for use.

Another object of the present invention is Yto provide a saw horse or trestle which will supTv port relatively great weight without danger of breaking and in which all A eng-aging surfaces between the rail andlegs are iiush, iirrn and snug surface engagements, so constructed and ar ranged that all vertical and lateralstrains and stresses on thesaw horse will be eiectively distributed to prevent breakage of any part,` as well as one in which no strains or stresses will be borne by hinges, bolts, pins or other similar elements.

With these and other objects inview. as may appear from the accompanying1oeeihcationi the invention consists of various;- featuresl of con:l struction and combination oi parts, which will be iirst described oiiictii with the accompanying drawings, showing ai collapsible saw horse or trestle of a preferred forni vembodying the invention, and" the'fea'tu'es" forr'ning the invention 'will be speciiically pointed out in the' claims.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofl the improved saw horse or trestle in openposit-ion ready for use.

Figure 2 is an end View of the saw horse o'r trestle.

Figure 3' is a perspective View of the saw horse or trestle in a collapsed positionready for storage.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross section taken on the 1ine 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevation of the inner side of one of the supporting legs.

Figure 8 is a top plan of one of the supporting less- Figure 9 is a perspective view of an inserting bracket. in ,the inverted position, and Figure. 1Q .iS a perspective. ,View Oia4 vreceiving bracket in the inverted l` position, both of which are use d in connecti-ng Athe legs to the supporting rail of the saw horse 0r trestle. e Figure 1-1 -is an enlarged View of an inserting bracketY and a receiving bracket showing the dovetail construction thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved sawherse or tresileineludes a iep rail I whichniay be vof anysuitable size such as a 2 x el,V 2 x 6 ort-he like. The top rail rI has en d vertical braces 2 attached theretoand depending therefrom near its en ds which; end braces are substantially a truncated inverted V shape so as to conforrn to ther transverse or lateral in? clination of the legs` of the saw horse. Attached to the top rail I and; tothe edges of the end vertical braces 2 are side vertical braces 3. Ihe end vertical bracesV 2 and` side vertical braces 3 are attachedl toV a brace bar @which is supported a predetermineddistance below the top rail l and in parallelrelatien thereto. The brace bar i 15erforms the dual functionl of bracingand steadying the saw horse or trestle whenit is in open usable position anda support for the legs 5 when the latter are disconnectedjrom Athe top Arail and collapsed; as shownv in FigureS of the drawings, The end Vertical bars 2 hand the side vertical braces together with thebrace bar 4 box in the outer sidesa-nd end oi thespace between the top rail I andthe brace bare at the ends oi the trestle tov prevent longitudinal slippage of thelees. when collapsed:HH

ings; and the upper ends are' cut at an' acute' angle; to' the at faces of the leg 'so that they will fit tightly and snugly against the'` under sur' face of the top rail I when in assernbledsposi-V tion, as is clearly shown in Figure 6 oi the dra-wings. The inner edges of the side vertical braces 3 are cut at an acute angle to the perpendicular as shown at l so that lthe outer edges of the upper ends of the legs will t tightly and snugly against the inner edges of the side vertical braces 3, thus rm'wood-to-wood or metal-to-metal engagement of the legs 5 with the top rail I and the side vertical braces 3 is provided for distributing stresses and strains from the top rail I The legs 5, iour of which yare provided', are

3 throughout the entire saw horse structure and prevent localization of such strains which would tend to weaken or break parts of the saw horse.

The top rail I has receiving brackets 8 attached to its under surface in any suitable manner and these receiving brackets have dove-tailed recesses 9 formed therein which receive the portions I0 of the inserting brackets II which are attached to the inner surfaces of the legs 5 at their upper ends. The dove-tailed recesses in the receiving brackets 3 are closed by the top rail I and the inserting section I of the inserting bracket II engages the dove-tailed recess so as to provide a rm snug t between the inserting bracket II and the receiving bracket Thumb screws I2 are threaded through the inserting bracket I I and into engagement with the recessing bracket 8 to securely wedge the inserting brackets within the receiving brackets.

Inserting members I3 are carried by the legs and have their inserting sections III inserted in receiving brackets III carried by the brace bar 5. A metal strip I5 is shown in Figure 6 between the brace bar 4 and the receiving brackets I4. The inserting brackets I 3 and the receiving brackets III are identical with the inserting brackets II and receiving brackets 8 and tightening thumb screws I5 are carried by the inserting brackets I3.

When the saw horse or trestle is in assembled position as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings and it is desired to collapse it for storage the various thumb screws i2 and I 5 are loosened and the saw horse is preferably reversed so that it is supported upon the top rail I. The legs are then moved longitudinally, that is, downwardly or outwardly with respect to the top rail so as to release the inserting brackets from the receiving brackets, the legs are placed in flat- Wise engagement with each other and placed upon brace bar 4 and preferably fastened by straps indicated at I8 so as to collapse the saw horse in a relatively small compact structure for storage. In assembling the saw horse for use, the top rail I and brace bar are preferably placed upside down and the various inserting brackets inserted into their respective receiving brackets and the thumb screws tightened, after which the saw horse is placed upright for use.

By constructing the leg members 5 and the side vertical braces 3 with their inclined surfaces increasing or inclining outwardly as they extend downwardly, weight and stresses on the top rail I will tend to force them into more firm engagement. However, by reason of the acute angle cut at the upper end of the legs 5 and the inserting and receiving brackets above described each of the parts fits rmly and snugly one to the other and prevents any wobbling or loose motion of any parts of the saw horse or trestle.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specic construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they may be Widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed:

1. In a saw horse or trestle, a top rail, sup-y porting legs therefor, a brace bar extending parallel and in spaced relation to said top rail, receiving brackets carried by said top rail, receiving brackets carried by said brace bar, inserting brackets carried by said legs for insertion into said receiving brackets to detachably connect said legs to said top rail and brace bar, said legs inclining outwardly from said top rail laterally and longitudinally of the top rail when attached thereto, the top ends of said legs being cut at an acute angle to iit in iiat snug engagement with the underside of the top rail, end and side vertical braces connecting said top rail and said brace bar near their ends, said end vertical braces being substantially inverted truncated V-shaped to Vconform to the lateral angles of inclination of said legs and said side vertical braces having their inner ends cut to conform to the longitudinal angles of inclination o1" said legs and to lie flush against the edges of the legs when the saw horse is in assembled position.

2. In a saw horse or trestle, a top rail, supporting legs therefor, a brace bar extending parallel and in spaced relation to said top rail, receiving brackets carried by said top rail, receiving brackets carried by said brace bar, inserting brackets carried by said legs for insertion into said receiving brackets to detachably connect said legs to said top rail and brace bar, said legs inclining outwardly from said top rail laterally and longitudinally of the top rail when attached thereto, the top ends of said legs being cut at an acute angle to t in iiat snug engagement with'the underside of the top rail, end and side vertical braces connecting said top rail and said brace bar near their ends, said end vertical braces being substantially inverted truncated V-shaped to conform to the lateral angles of inclination of said legs and said side vertical braces having their inner ends cut to conform to the longitudinal angles of inclination of said legs and to lie flush against the edges of the legs when the saw horse is in assembled position, said receiving brackets having tapered receiving recesses therein opening downwardly, and said inserting brackets having upwardly and inwardly tapering insert members thereon for fitting in said tapered receiving recesses.

EDMUND JAMES DOUCETTE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 396,918 Butler Jan. 29, 1889 467,081 Church Jan. l2, 1892 906,076 Smyth Dec. 8, 1903 1,292,090 Schimmel Jan. 21, 1919 2,079,575 Matter May 4, 1937 2,194,027 McDonald Mar. 19, 1940 2,203,780 Gatz June 11, 1940 2,281,039 Jones Apr. 28, 1942 2,324,196 Crozier July 13, 1943 

